California man enters plea to terrorism charge

SACRAMENTO - A California man has pleaded not guilty to attempting to provide support to a foreign terrorist organization.

The Sacramento Bee reports that Nicholas Teausant entered the plea Thursday during his initial appearance in federal court in Sacramento. He also asked for a jury trial.

Teausant, a 20-year-old American citizen from Acampo, about 30 miles south of Sacramento, was indicted last week on a single charge that he tried to join an extremist group in Syria. The federal defender's office is representing him.

He was arrested in Washington state last month near the Canadian border just south of Vancouver. Investigators say Teausant planned to travel to Canada before heading to Syria.

He agreed to return to Sacramento to face the charge, which could bring up to 15 years in prison.